Tim Shriver Calls for 'Department of Development and Service'



Since Barack Obama was elected, there’s been a drumbeat of encouragement for him to develop a new government role for charity — a cabinet-level position to promote the arts or a new White House office to support philanthropy. Timothy Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics and a member of the Kennedy family, is going one step further, calling for the creation of a U.S. Department of Development and Service. Mr. Shriver is the son of Sargent Shriver, who helped form the Peace Corps, and Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who established Special Olympics.

Tim Shriver Calls for 'Department of Development and Service'

Special Olympics Leader Calls for 'Department of Development and Service'

Caption: Special Olympics President Tim Shriver (left) and Congressman Mike Honda at the Peace Corps Awards Reception. Photo: Congressman Honda Flickr Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

Since Barack Obama was elected, there’s been a drumbeat of encouragement for him to develop a new government role for charity — a cabinet-level position to promote the arts or a new White House office to support philanthropy.

Timothy Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics and a member of the Kennedy family, is going one step further, calling for the creation of a U.S. Department of Development and Service. Mr. Shriver is the son of Sargent Shriver, who helped form the Peace Corps, and Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who established Special Olympics.

“Today, there’s no national voice inviting Americans to serve humanitarian interests around the world and no clear strategy for promoting democracy, economic development, health, education, and human rights,” he writes in The Washington Post.

“More than ever, citizen groups, philanthropies, businesses, and faith-based organizations are willing to do more to promote basic education for all, opportunity for women and girls, inclusion for those with disabilities, and peace. More than ever, the ability exists to eradicate age old diseases of the body like malaria and age old diseases of the spirit like fear and intolerance. With Obama’s inspirational power, the response to a presidential call would be monumental,” he writes.

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Headlines: December, 2008; Speaking Out; NGO's; Special Olympics

When this story was posted in December 2008, this was on the front page of PCOL:




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Director Ron Tschetter: The PCOL Interview Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter sat down for an in-depth interview to discuss the evacuation from Bolivia, political appointees at Peace Corps headquarters, the five year rule, the Peace Corps Foundation, the internet and the Peace Corps, how the transition is going, and what the prospects are for doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011. Read the interview and you are sure to learn something new about the Peace Corps. PCOL previously did an interview with Director Gaddi Vasquez.

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November 5, 2008: This Month's Top Stories World Welcomes Obama Win 5 Nov Shays Loses Congressional Seat in Connecticut 5 Nov Steve Driehaus wins Congressional Seat in Ohio 5 Nov Bill Josephson to speak at UMBC on Nov 13 30 Oct Peace Corps to Resume Work in Liberia 23 Oct Tschetter proposes PC Foundation to Further Third Goal 23 Oct George Packer writes: Roof is falling in on Conservatism 23 Oct O'Hanlon writes: How to finish the job in Iraq 22 Oct Mike Paquette writes: Bolivia situation is very troubling 20 Oct McPherson says bureaucracy delays development initiatives 20 Oct Philip Razem writes: Reveling in the spirit of politics 19 Oct Amy Zulman writes: Improving America's Reputation 15 Oct RPCVs film "Once in Afghanistan" 14 Oct Some PCVS angry at Peace Corps Bolivia pullout 11 Oct Hill proposes compromise in Korea talks 11 Oct Mark Schneider proposes mandatory public service 10 Oct Ambassador Stephens Visits School after 33 Years Ago 9 Oct RPCVs promote organic farming with "magic bus" 7 Oct Obama talks about Doubling the Peace Corps 7 Oct Conference on Moritz Thomsen held in Quito 5 Oct New: More Stories from September 2008 and October

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Some PCVs return to Bolivia on their own Peace Corps has withdrawn all volunteers from Bolivia because of "growing instability" and the expulsion of US Ambassador Philip Goldberg after Bolivian President Evo Morales accused the American government of inciting violence in the country. This is not the first controversy surrounding Goldberg's tenure as US ambassador to Bolivia. Latest: Some volunteers have returned to Bolivia on their own to complete their projects.

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